United Nations Millennium Declaration
The Goals
Adopted by 147 Heads of State and Government and other world leaders meeting at UN Headquarters in September 2000, the Millennium Declaration sets the agenda for a new era.
Based on the Millennium Declaration, the Member States of the United Nations have joined to set goals in the areas of peace, security and disarmament; development; protecting the environment; human rights, democracy and good governance; protecting the vulnerable; meeting the special needs of Africa; and strengthening the UN.
Following are some of the agreed goals relating to the Millennium Declaration:
-- Peace, security and disarmament
International rule of law — Strengthen compliance with decisions of the International Court of Justice and provisions of the UN Charter; take concerted action against international terrorism; redouble efforts to counter world drug problem, transnational crime;
UN and armed conflict — Give UN the resources needed for conflict prevention, dispute resolution, peacekeeping, peace-building and reconstruction; strengthen cooperation with regional bodies;
Disarmament — Strive to eliminate weapons of mass destruction; call on States to consider acceding to Landmines Convention; end illicit traffic in small arms, light weapons
--Development and poverty eradication: The Millennium Development Goals
Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Achieve universal primary education
Promote gender equality and empower women
Reduce child mortality
Improve maternal health
Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Ensure environmental sustainability
Develop a global partnership for development
--Protecting our common environment
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions; intensify efforts for sustainable development of forests; press for full implementation of conventions on biological diversity and desertification; stop unsustainable exploitation of water resources, ensuring equitable access and adequate supply; intensify collective efforts to reduce the number and effects of natural and man-made disasters; ensure free access to information on the human genome
Human rights, democracy, good governance
Uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; strive for protection of civil, political, economic, social, cultural rights for all; strengthen States' capacity to implement principles and practices of democracy and human rights; combat violence against women, and implement the UN Convention on eliminating discrimination against women
Take measures to protect the human rights of migrants, migrant workers and their families, to eliminate acts of racism and xenophobia, and to promote greater harmony and tolerance; work collectively for more inclusive political processes; ensure freedom of the media and the public's right of access to information
Protecting the vulnerable
Expand protection of civilians in complex emergencies and strengthen burden-sharing in assistance to refugee host countries; help all refugees and displaced persons return voluntarily in safety; encourage full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its protocols on armed conflict, child prostitution and pornography
Meeting the special needs of Africa
Full support for political and institutional structures of emerging democracies and for regional and subregional mechanisms to prevent conflict and promote stability; ensure reliable flow of resources for peacekeeping
Take special measures for poverty eradication, sustainable development, including debt cancellation, improved market access, enhanced official development assistance, increased foreign direct investment and technology transfers; help build up Africa's capacity to tackle HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases
Strengthening the United Nations
Reaffirm the role of the General Assembly as the UN's chief deliberative, policy-making organ; intensify efforts for Security Council reform; further strengthen the Economic and Social Council; strengthen the International Court of Justice
Encourage regular consultations and coordination among the principal UN organs; ensure that the UN is provided, on a timely, predictable basis, with the resources it needs to carry out its mandate; urge the Secretariat to make best use of resources by adopting the best management practices and technologies available; promote adherence to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel
Ensure greater policy coherence and cooperation between the UN, its agencies, the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization and other multilateral bodies; further strengthen cooperation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union; give greater opportunities to the private sector, non-governmental organizations and civil society in general to contribute to UN goals and programmes
* * *
|
